Friday, September 03, 2010
Your Turn
It seems that every celebrity in Hollywood has a dog they carry around with them everywhere they go. How come no one carries around a cat? They are lovable too. Maybe it is just because all the celebrities are dog lovers. Today's question is simple. Would you rather have a cat, dog or something else?
I have two dogs but I think I'd rather have a skunk. I have a couple of outside cats but they really aren't pets.
ReplyDeletei was raised with both and love them! currently, 3 cats and 1 dog permit me to live amongst them.......as long a i bestow gifts of food, water, toys and love upon them.
ReplyDeleteI was raised with both but am more of a cat person.
ReplyDeleteI'd like a cat. I like dogs just fine, but they are too high-maintenance! Cats take work/money too, but at least you don't have to walk them, or pick up their crap. The neighbours do that for you - out of their flower-beds.... ;-)
ReplyDeleteI am a total cat person and my cat seems to be part dog in his behavior. I love the idea of a dog, but just can't bring myself to pick up poop - maybe if I were a celebrity I wouldn't have too!
ReplyDeleteI am slightly more of a cat person, b/c they require less effort!
ReplyDeleteNeither. I really wish I had a formidable dog to ward off creepers who come in the store. Alas, my apartment's too small.
ReplyDeleteMy mom has an evil cat who runs away from me (it runs away from everyone) when I go home. My dad has two toy poodles. One yaps incessantly (my dad trained him well), and the other is comparatively chill.
LOL @DJ!
ReplyDeleteI don't think I can choose. Love them both. I currently have 2 Cats and 1 Dog. Icecat, Piggy and Tater...I would never be able to choose one child over the other, although Icecat was my first...Nah, I cant choose :)
Happy Long Weekend Everyone! I'm quiting my job today!! Woot Woot!!
Love animals, but cat over dog. Like the take a number attitude of a cat.
ReplyDeleteI would rather have a dog, but as the owner of 2 small dogs, I always wonder what keeps the dog from peeing in those carriers? Small, inbred dogs tend to be anxious pee-ers.
ReplyDeleteAfter having a dog and other pets for most of my life, I now have a cat.
ReplyDeleteI'd never had a cat before because all other cats I had ever encountered, although cute and fluffy, were also aloof, flaky, and worst of all, scratchy.
I took my kitty in when he showed up at my door as a stray, about 2 years ago.
He is very affectionate, very vocal, and loves being around people, although we have been introduced to his pointy bits once or twice.
I am pleasantly surprised how funny and smart he his, and perhaps most of all, how portable! SO easy to pick up and carry around! I could never do that with my big dog, so this is a new thing for me.
Dogs...they're my personal preference. Plus my wife and I are allergic to cats which makes it even easier to pick.
ReplyDeleteBut anything that fits in a purse doesn't count as dog for me. We have a pound puppy now named Violet (after The Incredibles character thanks to the kids). She's about 50 lbs. which is as small as I'd go.
Last one was a rescued greyhound named Fable. Best dog ever.
I love both as well, but only have cats right now. They work out better for apartment living.
ReplyDeletewithout being species-ist, I would assume cats aren't carried around as an accessory more often due to their ability to freak the ever loving eff out and scratch, bite and over all maim anything in their way between "This is scaring me" and safety.
I have 2 cats - down from three. I just lost one to Feline Leukemia. :(
ReplyDeleteCat. Cat Cat Cat. I take my cat everywhere in his carrier. He'd steal the paps attention away from LL too
ReplyDeleteDOG!!!!! cats are fine if you don't want a lot of responsibility or if you work a lot.
ReplyDeletebut there's nothing that compares to the relationship you have with your dog. it's a totally different connection. lots of trouble, lots of responsibility, but so, SO worth it.
I have a cat that thinks it is a dog. I put him in a harness and on a leash and when a kid walks down our sidewalk, he trots out to meet them so they will pet him. He also runs to the door when someone knocks on it.
ReplyDeleteI have a cat and he would flip out if I took him outside. I love him to bits and I don't want any other pet. He's good.
ReplyDeleteI love both cats and dogs, but only own the latter right now. I think celebrities don't carry cats around because most of them wouldn't put up with that nonsense. I desperately want a cat (my dog is good with them) but I'm highly allergic to them, which makes me very sad. :(
ReplyDeleteAlso @Icecat
ReplyDeleteHA! Good for you. Enjoy your freedom!
i've always been partial to dogs until i got my cat three years ago. i think i tolerate her for the most part because she acts so much like a dog. she fetches, will sit/lay down when u tell her. she can be a pain because she is spoiled but i love her anyway.
ReplyDeleteI'm allergic to animal fur, so I can't have any animals in the house. I do have a fish pond in the back yard, and I feed the song birds, hummingbirds, and squirrels. If I could have a house pet I'd want an opossum (I've heard they make great pets).
ReplyDeletei still want a husky though.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a pet person and I'd rather not have animals in my house. But if I have to choose, I choose cats. Dogs are such attention whores. "Feed me! Scratch me! Walk me! I will love you unconditionally...if you continue to carry out my requests!" Cats are more likely to mind their own business. "You may pet me now for a minute if you like...before I retreat to this sunny spot by the window".
ReplyDeleteI have 3 dogs - 2 big boys and a pocketbook boy. Pocket boy has a Napoleon Complex.
ReplyDelete@ms - they don't pee in the bag because it's their *home*. They are also happy because they are near their owner.
I don't get the whole "I choose cats because I don't want to pick up dog poo" reasoning at all. You still pick it up if they are indoor cats and then it is in your home, smelling up whatever corner the litter bin is at. I've noticed some cat people have no idea how bad it can smell.
ReplyDeleteIcecat, I'm jealous! Congrats
We have one cat and one dog. The dog adores my husband and likes me too, by the way. Really, my husband was his savior--picked up this very thin lab-mix by the side of the road. He followed my husband around the house for the first two years or so. AND, my husband takes him running, which the dog also loves.
ReplyDeleteKitty appeared in the backyard one night. I thought I was too allergic to own one, but nope, I'm not. She's indoor/outdoor. She loves me and puts up with hubby, as I spoil her with affection and food (though she's very trim--and very small--only 8 lbs.). Never owned a cat before her, though I had wanted to.
Couldn't choose between the species though. Both have their pluses and minuses.
I have 2 Siamese that are my babies. They act like dogs though!
ReplyDeleteYeah for IceCat! What's next?
ReplyDeleteI've had both ...love both, my dog wants a kitten of her own...we'll see.
ReplyDeleteLast week there was an older woman walking ahead of me, rather slowly, pushing what I thought was a walker, but turned out to be a stroller. I thought "how sweet, she's with her grandchild," until I passed her, and did a double take. She had a cat in there(!). The stroller had a zippered top.
ReplyDeleteTo each his own.
Yay Icecat! Good luck!
ReplyDeleteI have three rescue cats (two mine, one my bfs) and couldn't love them more if I tried. I've actually just found a lump on one of their neck and I'm scared to death, so good wishes for him are appreciated :)
I prefer to be owned by cats.
ReplyDeletesurfer: I see a woman around here all the time w/a white Westie who runs around happily, and some kind of fluffy yip dog in a baby stroller--I think that one may be getting on in years. I've also seen people walking cats, but I suspect you have to start them w/that fairly young; at least, no cat who's ever owned me would put up w/such a thing! (Yep, you guessed it, I'm a cat person. Dogs are great, but cats are much easier in city apartments--it's hard enough to rent w/a cat, but dogs? Forget it! Jezebel, my 14-year-old, 15 lb. tortie, is the current ruler of my domain (was going to say mistress, but that might imply something totally wrong...), and according to my mom, she's my furry little doppleganger, poor girl. :-)
ReplyDeleteAs for why cats aren't purse pets, I'm thinking it's because most of them, even the affectionate ones, don't want to be carried around like that, and are more apt to scratch their humans & other people in the process of trying to get free. I've seen a few people do it w/kittens, and perhaps cats trained from an early age, but for the most part it's just not going to happen.
i have a pug, i don't carry him around with me...that's pretty lame. but if wherever we are going is a dog friendly place, he jumps on in and comes with the family :)
ReplyDeleteI have a dog and love, LOVE him, but I am truly a cat person. Most cats are far too intelligent to tolerate being in a purse--have you ever tried to put one in a kitty carrier. Ouch!
ReplyDeleteRobin: maybe the cat was old and wobbly, but seeing that just made me feel kind of sad for the woman.
ReplyDelete@Sunnyside & Everyone - After 5 long years in Georgia, my boyfriend ended up getting a rockin job in Utah (where we are both from).. SO I am finally not trapped in the south! I couldn't be happier to go home to my beautiful Mountain state. Had a good time here, but am very excited to go home to friends and family.. AND.. I get to now drive 2000 miles with my 2 cats and dog.. Oh what fun, right?
ReplyDeleteI like dogs, but I'm a cat person. Both of mine were rescued as kittens from the SPCA (one in Boston, one in NC). I love them to pieces. The little tortie cat is kind of like a puppy - she always needs to be where I am.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI love dogs. My husband and I travel too much and both work, so we don't have one, but we would love a labrador. Our neighbours behind us have two dogs, and we often watch them. One day we'll get one. I am allergic to cats so couldn't own one, however our next door neighbours 3 cats prefer our yard to theirs. Go figure.
ReplyDeleteI'd rather have cats, they are easier to clean up after and don't require as much attention as dogs.
ReplyDeleteIt's a lot harder to get a cat used to new environments, which is why people don't carry them around like dogs.
Icecat, drive safe.
ReplyDeleteI was exclusively a cat person for the longest time! My last one was with me from the time he was 7 weeks until about 13 years (kidney failure). I tried the harness/leash thing with him once to see if he'd enjoy being outside, but he just sat down and gave me a "Really?" look. It was heartbreaking to put him down (my first experience), but I didn't want him to just exist - I wanted him to be able to LIVE. He terrorized just about everyone who came to our apartment and definitely had his own personality, but he was also my baby boy and the perfect companion for that time in my life (small living quarters, low maintenance, etc.)
ReplyDeleteWhen I bought my house (post-RoscoeKitty), I ended up taking in an older dog who had been dumped in the neighborhood. (Named her "Boo" since she snuck up in me one day while I was doing yardwork.) Sweet, sweet dog, but she was terminal and only lived for 3 months. Another heartbreak for me, but I consoled myself with knowing she had been loved and cared for the last 3 months of her life instead of toughing it out on the street.
Two weeks after letting her go, I adopted an 8 week old puppy and just cannot imagine my life without Oliver. Lots of maintenance, lots of attention and definitely doody duty, but what an absolute joy! Have thought about getting him a kitty (he enjoys interacting with the neighbor's yard cats), but haven't been able to (yet) talk myself into a dual-pet home.
RocketQueen, sending good vibrations to your boy. My kittie, Poppet, is getting old and I worry for her all the time.
ReplyDeleteMy cat is a certified therapy cat who visits cooks childrens hospital and also the nursing home near my home. He loves travel and meeting new people.
ReplyDeleteAfter having nursed two cats through their final days, both of whom lived past age 18, I would only have a dogs now. And rescued dogs for sure.
ReplyDeleteOld cats will vomit and pee without warning, anytime and anywhere...
Wow, its so ironic to see this today. This morning as my husband and I were headed home after our daily run we witnessed a cat running across the street (a dog was barking and he was startled) and being struck by a car. We heard the impact, but the cat kept running toward our house which is at the corner.
ReplyDeleteAs we got closer we even commented how horrible it would have been if the cat had been hit badly, we started looking for him and were devastated to realize the cat HAD been struck and was dying. He looked up at us and the look of his eyes as he laid there dying I will never forget. I started crying and my husband who I've only seen cry once was bawling. It was horrible.
That said, I'm a cat person. We own two cats (Hector and Louis) and as soon as we got home we couldn't stop hugging them... :*(
Cats rock, they are independent and IMO are very real. When a cat gives you love, he means it. I'd never run around with any of my cats, they'd hate it and don't see the point of carrying around a pet like that. Maybe its because I've had plenty of cuddle time with my three boys, but I don't get the thrill of it.
DOGS have to be a good size (nice and BIG and huggable!) to be anything (we have 3 black labs and a St. Bernard mix). I have 2.5 acres and we only have cats for rodent control (OK -- THAT is MY excuse!). BUT ...if I HAD to carry anything around, I think I'd start carrying a purse instead of an animal...
ReplyDeleteFun post! I love animals soo much! I have 2 dogs & a cat. I am definitely more of a dog person b/c of their personalities.
ReplyDelete@Harriet Hellfire - so spot on w/ how a cat thinks.
As much as I love my cat, he can be such an asshole. He can be really mean at times. We are currently experiencing litterbug issues AGAIN. I'd rather pick up dog pop any day over litterbox..blech!
@Kimberly - that is so cool!!
I have seen the stollers for cats. It strikes me as more hilarious than the dog ones knowing how cats can flip the helll out. My cat one time gave himself self induced asthma from being stressed out during kenneling. They are odd creatures.
IceCat - Just in time to see the Aspens change colors. I have family in Utah, and the skiing is so choice there. Congrats on your escape from the South!
ReplyDeleteHarriet - I completely disagree. Cats are SUCH attention whores. My mom's evil cat that I mentioned will ignore you the whole day, but will then wake you up in the middle of the night while you're sleeping so you finally have the privilege to pet her. She actually poked her claw under my chin to wake me up.
I guess I never answered the question. I'd take either pet as long as their personality jives with mine.
•litterbox, not litterbug
ReplyDeleteAlso, Icecat: Congratulations!!!! Such an awesome feeling to quit a job (esp. If you hated it!). Good luck with the move!
Why do celebrities not carry around cats? This question tells us you do not have one, Enty. A cat would wriggle free and then tell the celebrity to get a damned purse if she wants something to tote around.
ReplyDeleteI love both dogs and cats. I recently lost my rescue kitty Frankie at the age of 20. I now have two rescue dogs, an elderly German Shepherd and a young half-poodle/half-chihuahua.
Oh dear god, Lila. I just about burst into tears reading that. Please tell me you called the SPCA or someone to have them end it quickly?! That poor owner.
ReplyDeleteIn the 80's, I used to carry my cat in a bag to my parent's house. They loved her, even though they hated cats. It was very sweet. Some cats are really cool, others have attitudes, but so do dogs.
ReplyDeleteMy cat offers me comfort, when I'm sick, she knows it and snuggles. My dog gives me companionship.
MCH, litterbox problems are often related to a sick cat or it's not clean enough for the cat.
ReplyDeleteDogs! Nothing against cats but my sister who lives with me is allergic. My sister has multiple health problems and I don't want to make them worse.
ReplyDeleteI just got a 2nd dog a few months ago. Sunny is an adoption dog too. When we went to a fund raiser; the pet place was having; Sunny came over and sat on my sisters feet. Then I heard that "Little Miss Sunshine"(her full name) took care of a dog at the "shelter" that had seizures. My sister has epilepsy. I was sold and Sunny got a new home. Both my dogs are beagles and the most loveable creatures ever.
PLEASE if you are thinking of a new pet ADOPT instead of buying from a pet store.
Lila, I cried too when I read this. Please tell me it went fast.
ReplyDeleteI have 2 rescue cats and they would NEVER allow me to carry them around.
ReplyDeleteI like cats, but my dog is the joy of my life. She's part shepherd and has the bad hips, and I don't know what I'm going to do when I have to put her down. May it be a long, long time away!
ReplyDelete@ardleigh - well said! I saw a great bumper sticker this weekend, it said, "My favorite breed is Rescued".
ReplyDeleteThanks, RocketQueen. I hope your baby is okay.
ReplyDeleteThanks to everyone with well wishes. It's going to be an interesting couple of weeks, that's for sure!
Karmen - I LOVE Aspens Trees! There are none in Gerogia :( I so hope I make it back in time to go up to our cabin in the high Uintas!
Also, I know a couple of people mentioned it, but all of my animals are rescues, I wouldn't have it any other way. PLEASE if you are considering adopting an animal, RESCUE one. You wont be let down!
I'd love to have a dog. A big dog. Like a German shepherd.
ReplyDeleteBut my cat won't let me!
^..^
I have two cats; I'd love a dog, but I have enough to deal with three kids. The cats are very independent most of the time, except when the little black one meows in my ear in the morning until I get my ass out of bed.
ReplyDeleteCats do not like being held, for the most part. If they want it, they come to you. They don't like leashes or being paraded around. Cats aren't ego accessories for celebrities, in other words. ;)
@sunnyside - yea, kitty has been on Rx UTI food for 3 years now. He goes to doc at least 2x a year to get checked out. I use specialty litter & scoop every other day. The vet told me sometimes cats just go through phases. He could have a perfectly clean box & still pee in the kitchen. Happens a few times a year. :(
ReplyDeleteMooshki, they have all manner of medications and such for bad joints these days. I met a 19 year old German Shepherd not long ago.
ReplyDeleteI have both. I have a 2 yr old yellow lab and a baby tabby kitty. They are both rescue animals.I got the lab Bella at a lab rescue and the kitty at a shelter. He was found with paint all over him, so his name is Sherwin William. Bella is very loving, I am working on Sherwin, he is still kind of skittish.
ReplyDeleteTo the person posting as ms @ 12:19, please change your moniker. I have been Ms on this site for over three years. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteMCH, glad to hear kitty is ok. I have had cats forever and my favorite would go in the tub. No reason. Just did.
ReplyDeleteMCH, glad to hear kitty is ok. I have had cats forever and my favorite would go in the tub. No reason. Just did.
ReplyDeleteI just recently got a munchkin kitty and he is ADORBS!!! but I am an all around animal person....we have 2 cats, 1 Dobie, a ferret, tarantula, 2 fish tanks and are about to get a hairless rat and dumbo rat....I want to carry the new kitten everywhere but cannot!!
ReplyDeleteDogs are my preference. Plus I am allergic to cats & just don't care for them. My dog, a mini schnauzer mix, is a rescue and is a sweet, loving, smart and dedicated boy. He can sit, shake, roll over, river dance and lay down. We haven't even had him a year and he learned all of that! He's got the best personality and is incredibly patient. I love Oscar.
ReplyDeleteI prefer cats, even if I don't have one.
ReplyDeleteI talk to my pet.
ReplyDeleteHe talks back to me. When he is away from me he calls out "Rebecca!" or "Melanie!"
He loves being in the car when I fetch one of my kids. He sits on the back of the drivers seat, occasionally coming down and going back up when I say roundabout, copying my daughter Laura who noticed he does not like it when the car corners too fast.
I guess since my illness, I am a house husband. So he goes with me to my psychiatrist too. Then we head for the beach for an hour or two to allow me to relax and we often meet tourists of all ages who love to get closer to him. They like me to take pics of him on their shoulder but some are afraid he will bite them. He never does. He says "hello, cocky?" to them. Cheeky, huh?
My better half has had to go to the emergency room twice. Once with a broken finger. She moved away at the wrong time. He is very jealous though. He "moves on" and fake attacks our maltese and a Bull Mastiff/Rottweiler cross who has a chest almost as big as mine!
He is only 11 now but will live for another 40 to 90 years. He likes to dance and loves me to humm against him, as it vibrates his entire body. He never leaves my side from the time I get up. Occasionally, if frightened, he spends up to three nights in a tree. He is able to skilfully fall out of it, to the ground when hunger for pistachios and hot sweet tea overcomes his fear of falling.
My grandchild substitute is a lesser sulphur crested cockatoo.
Have a great day!
I'm the parent of 3 feline ladies. My oldest is 16, and it's her picture I'm using as my profile picture. The middle child is 12, and the youngest is 7.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I love my girls, I'd love a dog too. However, it's been thoroughly and succinctly explained to me that Hell will freeze over before a canine presence is allowed in their house.
Since I'm outnumbered, they win. =)
up until i was 16, i was a dog owner and she was my best friend [pekinese] then when i turned 18, i got my first kitty [tiger], after tiger there was cujo, and i had them for years [tiger died at age 6 of throat cancer and cujo died this summer of stomach cancer at age 9.5]... its been hard but i have three other kitties, all male, maps, livy and remy... they are all unique
ReplyDeletemaps is a 15lb, all black teddy bear and daddy's boy; livy is a 7lb, all white super intelligent,vocal and affectionate snob; and remy is a 5.5lb all grey nuzzling, purring, bundle of energy and def a momma's boy
my bf was allergic to cats but i wouldnt give up cujo [he was my son people!] so my bf caved and started taking zyrtec, so far its 2 and a half years and maps and livy are his favs, and he cannot imagine life without me or them! he even took cujo's death pretty hard since they had bonded so well
as for stars not carrying cats, its probably bc the ones that do carry their pets like purses/trophies are too vain and self-centered to take the time to find the right rescue cat that would sit in their arms or a purse [those cats exist, ive had 2 like that!]
anyway, great reading all the various stories! have a great labor day weekend!
I have 5 cats & a dog. I'm not really a dog person at all - I just got her because I knew I'd be forced to take her for walks every day and get some exercise. She's a great dog, very low energy, sleeps all day. I guess she's pretty much just like a cat!
ReplyDeleteI love dogs, especially big dogs, but I will always love cats more.
ReplyDeleteI have been a cat person all my life and was shocked to learned that my 4 year old daughter was turning into a dog person. I felt like a failure. :(
ReplyDeleteFate brought a 4 year old Beagle into our lives and that little girl stole my heart (and continues to do so every single day). I never knew how much love you could have for a dog.
I still have my two kitties and will always consider myself a cat person first, but there's just something about a dog.
Thanks to everyone for sharing their stories. It's been so fun reading them
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ReplyDeleteDefinitely cats.
ReplyDeleteMy cat is inside/outside and knows how to potty in the toliet.I still have to be the doorman for the dogs one of them still a puppy so even that's a challenge.Love all of them.
ReplyDeleteCats are notorious for being hard to travel with.That why so seldom are they seen on the run with celeb owners but I wouldn't want to travel with any of my pets. They can STAY HOME.
I have always wanted a giraffe more than I can express with words. They are just too awesome/adorable/kickass
ReplyDeletepiggy!
ReplyDeleteI am a dog person - agree with the rescue preference. Sadly, I live in NYC and there's no way I can fit a dog into my lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteCould probably manage a cat, but I'm too high-maintenance to deal with cathair on my clothes.
What I REALLY want is a miniature horse. Maybe one day when I live in a house instead of a teeny box.